The Horror Genre - Iconography

One of the most obvious ways that audiences recognise certain genres, particularly the horror genre, is through the iconography, or visual clues that show the audience what genre a film belongs to. This often includes aspects of mise-en-scene, such as a film's setting, the props on show and costumes the characters wear. In the horror genre iconography is really important because it is instantly recognisable to the audience, and creates expectations related to what will happen as the narrative progresses.

Settings

According to the ‘collider.com’ website, most horror films are set in isolated locations as this creates the expectation that the characters are alone, far from help, and that they cannot easily escape when the situation turns dire. 

Often settings in horror films are abandoned places, most commonly in a remote area far from civilisation. Sometimes, however, these are urban environments that would usually be populated but are unusually empty, which makes these locations truly terrifying.

Numerous horror films are set in remote cabins, often in the woods, which are rundown and far from civilisation. This creates the expectation that when the characters are in trouble they won’t be able to get help.

Another common location found in horror movies are cemeteries. This type of location is unsettling for the spectator as it is associated with death, and creates the expectation that there may be some kind of haunting or a return of the undead.

Numerous horror films take place in the woods, or in houses that are surrounded by woodland. Again, these locations are usually far away from society and therefore people are alone and isolated.

 

Sometimes horror films take place in schools, which are frequently abandoned. These are unsettling because they are places that are familiar to the audience and the familiarity, and safety, has been taken away. 

 

Props 

Props are an important aspect of mise-en-scene, and audiences have clear expectations about the kinds of props they will find in a horror film. They help set the tone for the film, and many indicate the brutal and bloody violence that is common in the genre, or reflect a film's dealing with the supernatural (a common theme in the genre).

Some of the most iconic and frequently used props in the genre are weapons as horror films tend to have lots of death, blood and gore. Typically the weapons used in horror films are designed to cause the most pain, and are often more unusual than the guns found in action or crime films.

Other props, that aren’t weapons, are used to scare the audience, therefore the typical props include things that play on people's fears, such as those linked to the supernatural. Alternatively, props can also be scary because they are familiar or safe items which are used in an unusual way.

Costume

A key aspect of horror film iconography is costume. The costumes in horror films can, technically, be anything as horror film can be set in any time period or place, however, many typical parts of costume include masks (to hide the identity of killers), clown outfits and blood-stained clothes. All of these costume are designed to unsettle the audience.